IMPERFECT

The title of my homily is, “Imperfect.”

Life is funny. Jesus is funny. He knows life. He knows us.

Nobody is perfect.

The person who thinks they are perfect slips on the banana skin.

There is always something missing.

We’re sitting around with family and someone suggests playing cards. We go searching for a deck – find one – but surprise one card, the Queen of Hearts, is missing and we can’t find her anywhere.

So we decide to do a jigsaw puzzle. Everyone works on it for hours and hours and hours. Surprise we get to the end and one piece is missing.

Nothing is perfect.

Theirs is always something or someone missing.

Life is funny that way.

People want to go through life without any mistakes – to get a perfect score. Surprise, we make mistakes. We get lost. We get found. We get lost again. We misspell – miss names – miss appointments.

There are divorces – fender benders – a sister-in-law who gets drunk at every wedding.

We decide to go sailing. We get there only to discover we forgot to bring the key to the boat. The round trip to get home to get the key is twenty five minutes. We get it and we’re about ten minutes to the boat and it starts to rain with thunder and lightning.

People get zits and pimples – rips and stains.

We spill red spaghetti sauce on the while blouse or on a white table cloth and we spill it right in at our spot on the table. We try to hide the mess with a plate. It works, that is, till the perfect hostess comes up from behind us, picks up our empty plate and whispers a shrill, “Oooh, aren’t we the messy one?”

The meal is perfectly set up. The hors d’oeuvres go perfect. Everyone sits down. Surprise. We forgot to put out the forks.

There is always something or someone missing. Sometimes it’s us. We sin. We say the wrong thing – and we wish we could sink into the floor.

Relax. Jesus knows all about this. He missed what was missing.

100 is the perfect number in some systems. Then again, sometimes it’s 10. Sometimes it’s 5. Sometimes it’s 3. Sometimes it’s 2. Whatever the perfect number is, there is always seems to be one missing. One son becomes prodigal. Then when he is found, the other son won’t come in the house.

A lady had ten coins and loses one.

A shepherd had a long day. He’s all set for a long sleep, so he starts counting his sheep. Surprise - as we heard in today's gospel - one sheep is missing. It always happens. It’s life.

The Pharisees wanted to be perfect. They didn't want to look at their imperfections - the underneath bad breath of death. Jesus wanted be to die - to be grave - to dig within till they experienced new resurrection and new life. [Check out Matthew 23:27-28 and Luke 11: 37-44.]

The disciple wanted to be better than the other disciple: more important – more wise – get a better seat. [Cf. Mark 9: 33-37.] So Jesus kept dropping these hints about lost sheep, lost coins, foolish virgins and scared gift getters who buried their talents in the ground.

Jesus noticed some saw little kids as testy and pesty - and like crowds who wanted food, the disciples wanted Jesus to get rid of them. Jesus saw them as advertisements to what the kingdom and he was all about. We hear this in the section in Matthew just before today’s gospel text [Matthew 18:12-14].

Jesus also says, it’s all right to get into heaven missing a hand or an eye or walking in with a limp. That's certainly better than going to hell perfect with two feet and two hands and two eyes - and not being lame. [Cf. Matthew 18:1-14]

You have to laugh – especially with oneself – when we sin or when we’re late or when we make a mistake or when we’re imperfect.

Relax. Jesus was born in a stable.

Relax! Jesus says his Father comes looking for us when we are lost – when we’re dumb sheep. In fact, when we’re imperfect, that’s when we’re the perfect candidate for a God search till we’re found. In fact, being imperfect, having a good fall or sin is often the perfect time for people to find God.

Homily for 2 Tuesday Advent,

December 9, 2008

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OUR OWN BEST SELF

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Our Own Best Self.”

The thought that hits me for this feast of the Immaculate Conception is that Mary models for us our own best self.

Priests, when it comes to this feast of the Immaculate Conception, often quote the words of the English poet, William Wordsworth, about Mary, “Woman, above all women glorified, / Our tainted nature’s solitary boast.”

Translation: when we are at our best, we boast about our best.

Unfortunately, the opposite is also true. When we are at our worst, we talk about the faults and failings of others. Sometimes, we also tear down those who are good or those who are successful.

Mary was the best – and we celebrate that today.

We are called to be our best – and when we are – we are doing God’s Will – being whom God hopes we will be. That’s a quick summary of this message in today’s second reading. [Cf. Ephesians 1: 11-12.]

FAMOUS PEOPLE

Before I came to Annapolis, I worked for 8 ½ years out of a parish in western Ohio, Lima. It’s about an hour’s drive from the Indiana border. About 30 weeks of the year I would be somewhere else than in Lima – many times, in tiny towns – preaching with another Redemptorist for a week in places we had never heard of: Galion, Bucyrus, Edgerton, Paulding, Napoleon, Kalida – all towns in Ohio.

And often in these tiny towns there would be a sign announcing a famous person from that town. For example, we saw a sign in Holgate, Ohio, “Birthplace of Joe E. Brown” or “Birthplace of Neil Armstrong, Wapokoneta, Ohio.” We saw signs mentioning Thomas Edison in Milan, Ohio and Annie Oakley in Greenville, Ohio. Or people would mention a pro football or baseball player from that town – sometimes someone I heard of, sometimes someone I never heard of.

Translation: people are proud of home town heroes.

Phyllis Diller was from Lima, Ohio.

MARY

Today we celebrate the feast of one of our’s: Mary.

Mary, a young girl, was chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus – our Lord and our Savior – and so God so set her free from original sin from her conception.

The town of Nazareth celebrates Mary. This planet – at least we Catholics – and so many others - celebrate her as well. We celebrate that God was thinking ahead – when preparing our world for his Son – in choosing Mary – to be the Mother of God.

The Catholic Church’s teaching is we are good - but we have instincts to both good and evil within us. Keep an eye on oneself for a month – and we’d see this truth. Turn the pages of scriptures and you’ll hear about this truth.

The Catholic Church’s teaching is that Mary was conceived without original sin – because she was to be the Mother of Jesus.

That’s what this feast – this Feast of the Immaculate Conception – is about.

Early Church Fathers like Irenaeus and Ambrose suggested this. The idea slowly developed and it was a title and a feast by 1476. [Type “Paintings – Immaculate Conception” into the Google search engine and you’ll see artists in the late middle ages and into modern times painting pictures of Mary under this title.] The teaching by the Church wasn’t declared a dogma till 1854.

This morning I was thinking that this teaching about Mary is an extremely logical idea. Now, when I have time, I need to do some research to see if anyone connected this dogma declared in 1854 with the Enlightenment – a movement that started in the middle of the 17th or the beginning of the 18th centuries and continues into our time.

Translation: When a couple are pregnant they start planning for the future. They want to do everything they can do to make life just right for the future child within the mom’s womb. This teaching is telling us that God did this for Mary – when she was in her mother’s womb – that Mary be just right to be the mother of his Son – Jesus, the Son of God.

OUR OWN BEST SELF

The title of my homily is, “Our Own Best Self.”

Today’s first reading tells us part of the story of Adam and Eve as it’s told in the Book of Genesis. Those stories in the beginning chapters of Genesis are early theologians trying to help us figure out how life started, where evil comes from, and where is God in all this.

These stories tell us two great teachings: first of all, God created us, so we and everything he created are good; and secondly, so where does evil come from? Evil comes because we have freedom of choice. Evil comes from bad choices. And the story tells us that Adam and Eve were the originators of sin.

Today’s gospel story from Luke is a parallel story to today’s first reading. Mary is being given a choice. She too answers questions like Adam did. Unlike Adam and Eve, Mary chooses the right fruit – the fruit of her womb, Jesus.

CONCLUSION

This feast challenges us to be our Own Best Self.

This feast challenges us to be like Mary.

This feast challenges us to choose Jesus – and like Mary, to bring him to our world.

Each day we have choices to make.

Good choices make us our own best self. Bad choices make us our own worst enemy.

Each day forbidden fruit stares us in the face. We find a lost wallet on the sidewalk. We can keep it or try to find its owner.

Each day we can see a neighbor or a stranger who needs our help. We come upon someone trying to open a door with their hands full. We can walk over and help them or we can be blind.

Each day we can say “Yes” or “No” to sin and grace.

Like Mary, let us choose to be our own best self. Amen.

* Diego Velazquez [1597-1660]

COMFORT!
ISAIAH CHAPTER 40: VERSE 1

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Comfort! Isaiah Chapter 40, Verse 1.”

I don’t know if I have ever preached on the theme of comfort.

TODAY’S READINGS

To prepare a homily, I like to read the 3 readings out loud to myself, and see what hits me.

The first reading for today begins with the words, “Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God.” Isaiah chapter 40, verse 1.

That hit me, but I felt a bit uncomfortable with it. I thought, “Aren’t we supposed to preach tough stuff – sort of the opposite of comfort?”

So I read on to see what else might hit me. Sure enough some uncomfortable stuff appeared. Today’s Gospel has some tough and rough stuff: the call to repentance – the call to raw simplicity – the image of John the Baptist going into the desert – and eating off the land – eating honey and locusts – clothed in camel’s hair and wearing a leather belt around his waist.

Should I preach on repentance? That theme also appears in today’s second reading from St. Peter.

However, the theme of comfort continued to intrigue me.

So some words on “Comfort!”

THE COMFORTER

An image from childhood came to mind. I remembered a sort of patch work, big lined blanket, that used to hang out in our living room – usually folded up a bit and resting on the couch. We called it, “The Comforter.” It was like a big down blanket, long before we had big down blankets. It was perfect on a cold evening.

Each of us was Linus – wanting that blanket – not for security – but because it was a warm comfortable blanket.

Whoever was first on the couch in our living room listening to the radio – and then TV when it came - got “The Comforter.” I don’t remember the details and the exact fabric of this blanket – I’ll have to talk to my two sisters at New Year’s for their memories about all this. I remember sometimes we would give it up, if someone said they were really freezing.

It would also be stolen – along with the couch – if someone went to the bathroom or to the kitchen to get something to eat or drink – while we were listening to The Lone Ranger or The Shadow on the radio or Milton Berle or Bishop Fulton Sheen on black and white TV.

The Comforter was a prized component of our lives in winter – having more importance than the radiator. I also have fond memories of my mom putting her “paltoona” - I think that was her Gaelic slang word for “butt” – when she would stand there leaning up against the sizzling radiator when she would come in from outside – when it was freezing cold out there.

Winter challenges us with the issue of comfort.

“Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God.” Isaiah 40:1

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY

This parish is very generous when it comes to donations to the Poor Box and the St. Vincent de Paul Society. Thank you. And we have a wonderful group of folks who serve on Monday nights and Wednesday afternoons giving assistance to the poor – with your money.

Work is moving along towards a new Lighthouse Shelter here in Annapolis! Winter is almost upon us.

“Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God.” Isaiah 40:1

PEOPLE OUT OF WORK

And this winter we hope and pray those out of work can find jobs. We hope the recession has hit bottom already. That we don’t know. We hope the new president’s administration in Washington comes up with and implements plans that work – to get people work.

“Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God.” Isaiah 40:1

DIVORCE

We’re at work. It’s time for lunch. So and so comes over to us and asks if they can talk. We thought they had a perfect marriage. We find out about multiple affairs – dozens of forgiveness moments – the tears and the fears about how this is going to impact their teenage kids – and we don’t say anything but listen.

A year later this person comes to us and says, “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you last year for just listening. You helped me more than you could ever know.

“Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God.” Isaiah 40:1
THE MISTAKE

The man across the street got caught stealing funds from work. It hits the papers. He goes to jail. Our family, who really never got to know his family, decides to reach out – to invite his family for a meal now and then – to cover for his kids while his wife visits him in prison. It is at quite a distance. Our kids see this – and years later we see a son volunteering to do prison ministry and a daughter becoming a criminal lawyer – and they tell us how much we taught them when we reached out to our neighbors across the street.

“Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God.” Isaiah 40:1

DIDN’T MAKE THE CUT

Our granddaughter was talking for months how she was going to make the lacrosse team – but she didn’t make the cut. We see her tears – and we simply say, “It must be really tough not making the team – after telling your close friends you thought you were going to make it.” And we don’t tell them about the play we didn’t get into during our high school junior year and the job we knew we had, but didn’t get. No, we simply listen.

“Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God.” Isaiah 40:1

THE NURSING HOME

An aunt – a widow – who had no kids – is in a nursing home and we go once a month to see her. It’s an hour’s drive. We bring her soup and Hershey Kisses. She takes the soup – she loves to give Hershey Kisses to the nurses and those who attend to her.

Driving there – we feel the stress of traffic and the time squeeze; driving home we feel great feelings of grace and comfort for the hour visit with our aunt.

“Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God.” Isaiah 40:1

EMPHYSEMA
A long time buddy has emphysema. When we visit him we see that his favorite chair is a loser. We have an extra Lazy Boy Lounge chair, so we borrow another buddy’s pick up truck and bring him the Lazy Boy Chair. Every time after that, when we're watching football, we see how appreciative he is for the gift of the chair, “It’s so comfortable. Thank you. Thank you.”

“Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God.” Isaiah 40:1

ARMY-NAVY GAME

I called up a buddy of mine on Friday evening to comfort him. He is a big time Army fan. His wife answered the phone and said, “Please tell him I don’t want to go to the game.” When he got on the phone I relayed that message – and then comforted him – preparing him for the upcoming loss in Philadelphia yesterday. Now if I called him up today, that wouldn’t be comforting him. That would be rubbing it in.

“Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God.” Isaiah 40:1

ONE GREAT NURSE

We all know how great nurses can be – but a brand new nurse discovers how great this one nurse on her shift is. She sees her go searching in every closet on every floor – to steal a second pillow or extra blankets for people under her care who are shivering and cold – even though everyone else is sweating – or for someone who is staying over night in the hospital, keeping vigil for a very sick family member.

“Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God.” Isaiah 40:1

CONCLUSION

So yes, today’s message about bringing comfort to others is an everyday opportunity.

I talked about a big old blanket we had as kids called, “The Comforter.”

What are your comforters?

The Comforter can be a glass of water or a beer on a hot day or hot chocolate with marshmallow in it on a cold day or a blanket or chocolates or baby sitting so a mom or dad can get a break.

The Comforter can be giving others the best seat in the family or living room or the car.

The Comforter can be listening to a joke or a story we’ve heard a hundred times from an old uncle.

The Comforter can be taking the time, making the extra time, to write on a Christmas card more than just a name, but a personal reference to something very significant to the person we’re writing to.

The Comforter can be holding hands with a child or the family around the dinner table and saying an Our Father before we eat or before we go to bed.

The Comforter can be great bread or wine, great music, a great listening to each other.

Today’s Gospel ends with the words, “One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Come Holy Spirit! Isn’t that one of your nicknames, “The Comforter”?